When it comes to walking out your faith on a daily basis, have you ever given pause and asked yourself – ‘what am I missing here?’...or perhaps – ‘what am I not doing right?’; because it seems as if there should be ‘something more to this’...if I’m supposed to be ‘walking as Jesus walked’ (1 John 2:6) and ‘loving others as He loved us’ (John 15:12).

And just what if there is...’something more’ to all this that you are lacking? Would you be open to discovering just what that might be, and then maybe drawing near to God and asking Him for that which you might be lacking?

Jesus spent three years training a handful of men who were, for the most part, ‘unpolished’, unlearned and ‘rough around the edges’ ...when it came to matters of the kingdom of God. But something happened to them and their lives were forever changed as they then went out themselves and delivered this same message they had received...to others throughout the world. And please note - this messages was not designed and sent to ‘change the world’, rather it was intended to change men’s hearts...that they might live out their lives knowing God, walking with Him and keeping His commandments. (Ezek. 11:19; 36:26; Jer. 31:33; Jer. 24:7; 1 John 5:3)

Can I just tell you that it was not more religious ‘doctrine and activity’ that was missing in their lives, nor ours? It was something more divine, more supernatural, something that was capable of transforming us as we became a ‘new creation’ and conformed to the image of Jesus...so that we could actually go and walk like Him, love like Him, and do the same things He did in order to impact the lives of others around us. (2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 8:29; John 14:12).

Care to take a guess at what that might be?

Has it ever dawned on you that what might be missing or lacking in your life, and the lives of so many other sincere ‘believers’ around us...is the ‘power’ of God?

I mean...let’s start with the basics...if you still continue to struggle with sin and ‘sin regularly’ as most sincere ‘Christians’ will readily admit to...would that not be enough evidence alone to make you ask why that is? And did Jesus not say that anyone who ‘commits sin’ remains a ‘slave to sin’ (John 8:34)?

And yet John writes that ‘whoever abides in Him no longer sins’ (1 John 3:6). Back in John’s gospel, we have the words of Jesus recorded there teaching on ‘abiding in Him’, reminding us that ‘apart from Him, we can do nothing’ (John 15:4-5). I have a hunch this is where most of us have ‘missed it’, as we have tried to walk this walk apart from Him and attempted to do it in our own power and strength, not to mention with a lot of ‘sincere determination’. But again I ask...how’s that working out for you?

Rarely does a week go by around here these days when I hear both of my 4-year old grandsons tell me: “No Papa...I can do it myself!”. Bless their little hearts...they want so bad to do things they see me doing and want to do it themselves; yet without me, it just can't be done, but by golly they insist on trying until they discover...they need Papa’s help.

Do you recall the conversation Jesus had with His disciples about some ‘Promise’ regarding a ‘Helper’ that He was going to send them to enable them to do all these things He had been teaching them? (John 15:26; 16:13; 7:39). Yeah...talk about the ‘missing piece’.

So as His earthly ministry drew to a close, after all the drama of dying on the cross, being buried and then raised from the dead three days later...Jesus spent another 40-50 days with them before He returned to the Father in heaven; and He left them these parting words:

“Behold I send the Promise of My father upon you; but remain in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with ‘power’ from on high.” (Luke 24:49).

This same conversation is recorded for us in Acts 1:5-8, where Jesus wants them to understand that while they had already been baptized in water...”you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (5). And just so He is clear and they understand what He’s talking about...He doubles down and says: “You shall receive ‘power’ when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me...to the ends of the earth” (8).

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but this promise of a ‘Holy Spirit’ and ‘power’... was NOT just for those first 12 disciples...or just the 120 who gathered in Jerusalem waiting...or just those first 3-5 thousand believers who turned to Christ in those early days...this ‘promise was to them, their children...and to all who are afar off...as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39)

I should also point out here that when you see the word ‘power’ used throughout the New Testament, it is derived from one of two Greek words that have a significant meaning and implication. The first word is [exousian] which speaks of ‘authority’ or ‘capacity’ or ‘delegated influence’. And the other Greek word is [dynamin] which is explicit in its meaning: ‘miraculous power’....think in terms of ‘supernatural’.

When Jesus sent out those first 70 disciples in Luke 10, He equipped them with ‘delegated authority/power’ do heal and cast out demons (19); but they were still in the ‘lab/classroom’ and had much to learn. But the word He used in both Acts 1 and Luke 24 was the other word [dynamin] and meant something so much more.

So that passage in 2 Tim. 3:1-5, where Paul warned how in the last days...’perilous times would come’ and how people would be exhibiting so much ‘carnal fruit’, yet walking in/with a ‘form of godliness’...while ‘denying the ‘power’ of God (to transform them)? Yeah...that also comes from that ‘dynamin’ word as well. And for all those who may be in that ‘tongue-talking camp’ and want to quickly conclude that you have that ‘power’ simply because you ‘speak in the tongues of men and angels’...you might hit the pause button on that (1 Cor. 13:1)

Why not finish up today by reading Romans 8:10-11, and be sure to circle that word ‘if’ which is found in both verses. Then meet me back here tomorrow.